Questions: 1. Questions

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1. Questions

Winter in Mirkwood was a rather damp and chilly affair. The forest was far enough south to avoid most of the snow that so often graced Imladris and Lindon during the winter months however: that meant rain. Not a soft warm summer rainbut a cold downpour that was incessant. Another fact is that elflings do not take well to being trapped indoors constantly, and whining and fussing is the means by which they express this dislike. Needless to say winter in Mirkwood was a very stressful time for any parents with elflings under the age of seventy-five. Seventy-five was of course when elflings became adolescents and began advanced training in academics, weaponry, and apprenticeships for the trades they would take up as adult elves. King Thranduil and Queen Lothwen had three elflings younger than seventy-five during the winter of Third Age (TA) 195 and were therefore at wits end during this cold rainy January. (Legolas had been born in TA 185, Lothlanos in 187 and Silvriniel in 190)

Thranduil surveyed the wreckage of his throne room with a sigh. His children were allowed to play in there on rainy days as long as court was not in session. When court was in session they were required to retire to the nursery and the care of their nursemaids or to their Nanas' solar. Thranduil truly did not mind his children playing in the Throne Room while he worked but by Eru they could make a tremendous mess. Legolas and Lothlanos had scattered board games (Kings and Orcs (like chess) was their particular favorite) and toy soldiers from one end of the room to the other. Little Silvriniel (or Silvy as she was affectionately known) was using Thranduils' carven oak throne to have a tea party for her dolls, and was in the process of feeding her best doll (a lovely porcelain doll that Elrond and Celebrian had sent her for her birthday) a rather soupy concoction that she called pudding,

"What have you been doing hin-nin? Ada has a court session this afternoon. This mess needs to be picked up immediately." Thranduil rubbed his forehead as all three elflings began to whine about picking up the mess. Several weeks of being trapped inside with bored whiny elflings was enough to give even a powerful elf lord a splitting headache.

" But Ada we are sooooo bored. It is rainy again. We cannot go out to play and there is nothing to do.' whined little Silvriniel in the annoying high-pitched whine so common to small children (especially on grey, damp, dull days).

Thranduil gave his daughter a stern look that all three elflings knew meant Ada was dead serious. With a sigh Silvy began to pack away her dolls and her tea set in the basket that she carried them around the palace in. She took care to wipe the goopy pudding off of her special dolls face and then she carefully laid the fine porcelain doll on the top of the basket. Lothlanos and Legolas began to put away the toys and blocks that they had been playing with into the trunks that Thranduil kept in the Throne Room for exactly that purpose. Thranduil smiled at his elflings and began to peruse a stack of reports that Galion had left him for that afternoons court session. At the top of the list was the meeting with a group of tradesmen from Dale who wished to forge a trade alliance with Mirkwood. Arable de-forested land in Mirkwood was in short supply and Thranduil relied on trade alliances to provide staple foods for his people in the winter months. Luckily elven made goods were in high demand by the nobles of Dale, Arnor, and Gondor. They found the beauty and quality of Thranduils goods very desirable.. Thranduil smiled knowing he would have a tidy profit to stock up on many needed and wanted items in his little kingdom.

All of the sudden Thranduils' attention was drawn to the sight of his three children standing in front of him. Legolas, Lothlanos and Silvriniel were holding hands, as they often did when they wanted something either from their Nana, or Ada. He grinned at his elflings and patted the bench beside him.

" Hin-nin, what is it you wish to ask of me?" Thranduil pulled Silvy onto his lap and reached out to stroke the hair of his youngest son. He then pulled Legolas and Lothlanos onto the bench beside him and cuddled them close. He then motioned for Legolas to ask his question.

"Ada how did you meet Nana." whispered Legolas shyly. Thranduil smiled remembering how he had long ago asked his own Ada Oropher the same question. He opened his eyes and saw the look of anticipation on the faces of his elflings. It was the same look that the three of them got when either he or Lothwen was about to read them a story.

"It began like this," declared Thranduil in his best storytelling voice. His eyes glazed over as he went back in time over 200 years to when he and his beloved Lothwen had first met.

Spring 3430 SA

Crown Prince Thranduil roamed aimlessly amongst the beech trees surrounding the small elven settlement. He was at loose ends at the moment having just gotten out of weapons practice. This weapons practice was required of all members of the Royal Court and as a prince he must set a good example. Thranduil did not like fighting but in these dark times it was nescessary so he went to weapons practice right along with his brothers. Oropher had removed himself and his people to the Greenwood soon after the War of Wrath. Oropher was stubborn and had declared to Ereinion Gil-Galad that a High King would no longer rule the Silvan and Sindarin elves of Arda. He had vowed this once when Denethor, the last High King of the Nandorin elves was slain in battle, and once again when Elu Thingol was slain by dwarves. Not to mention that Oropher felt that the elves of Arda had suffered more than enough because of the actions of the Noldor. Thranduil grinned at the thought of his stubborn Ada facing down Ereinion Gil-Galad. It was a well-known story in the Greenwood. Thranduil had not yet been born when the people of Greenwood had left Lindon but he had heard the story so many times he felt like he had been present.

All of the sudden Thranduil was startled out of his reverie as he felt a body impact into him and he fell into a rather large mud puddle. From his prone position he looked up to see a pair of soft grey eyes looking at him fearfully. Those eyes were attached to the most attractive elleth that Thranduil had ever seen (He had seen every eligible elleth from Lindon to Lorien as along with Elrond Peredhil and Ereinion Gil-Galad he was the one of the most desired ellons in all Arda). Thranduil carefully got up out of the mud and attempted to brush some of the mud off.

" Hiril-nin, might I ask where you are going with such haste?" Thranduil asked as the elleth stared at her feet in embarrassment. Thranduil held out a rather muddy hand to the elleth. The elleth took his hand nervously having never been in such close proximity to the Crown Prince before.

" Hir-nin I was just headed towards the palace. I serve as a messenger for Amroth of Lorinand (Lorien of old). A message has come from Gil-Galad in Lindon. The High King of the Noldor calls his allies to war with the Enemy. I must reach the palace with all due haste as the message is urgent. My brother Haldir has been sent on to Gondor to pass the message along to Elendil as well."

Thranduil blanched at the thought of war with Mordor. The Silvan elves were ill equipped to open warfare. Their weapons armor and expertise were of much more use in ambushes, scouting, and war waged amongst the trees. The last time the Silva had marched to war had ended in the death of their High King. All Thranduil could do was encourage Oropher to request stronger armor from the dwarves of Erebor, and to begin training the ellons of his unit in sword and spearwork. Unfortunately, due to the actions of Celebrimbor and the smiths of Ost –in-Edhil war was inevitable whether the elves of the Greenwood joined Gil-Galads alliance or not. Thranduil sighed and quickly escorted the elleth in the front gate of the palace.

" Your Highness, I am very sorry for knocking you into the mud." whispered the elleth with a blush.

"Hiril-nin I must go make myself presentable for Court." stated Thranduil " However you can make this up to me in two ways. First you can meet me after Court for a walk in the Palace gardens. Second you can tell me you name fair elleth."

"My name is L-l-l-l Lothwen my l-l-l- lord," stuttered the elleth. "Hir-nin what time do you wish to meet?

Thranduil smiled and bowed to the elleth politely. " After dinner hiril-nin Lothwen. Meet me right here in fact and I shall show you my Nanas' roses." The elleth smiled as Thranduil left her to enter the quarters of the Royal Family. Thranduil felt that there was something between him and the fair elleth Lothwen. He looked forward to the adventure of budding romance.

Winter 195 TA

Thranduil returned to the present with a sigh and saw that his elflings were staring at him with wide eyes. The story of his romance with Lothwen had been a success.

"Tithen Pens it is now time for this afternoons Court Session. If you wish to know more you may seek out your Nana in her solar. The next part of the tale is after all hers for the telling." Thranduil smiled and watched as Legolas led his siblings to the secret passage that led from the Throne Room to the Queens solar. He looked thoughtfully at Legolas and grinned knowing his son would one day make a fine king. He then reflected that his romance with Lothwen had indeed been a grand adventure.

Definitions

ada/nana- daddy/mommy

hiril- nin – my lady

hir-nin- my lord

tithen (s)- pen(s) little ones

Legolas – Green Leaf

Lothwen- flower maiden

Lothlanos- flower singing or fall

Silvriniel – shining white maiden

Thranduil – halls of star shadow

Oropher- half high or high lord not sure on translation as I am using Noel not Salo. Thranduils Ada

Ereinion Gil- Galad- scion of kings, Star of Bright Light , last high king of the Noldor

Denethor- Water torrent, in this case last High King of the Nandor

This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.

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